Gas turbine systems are widely utilized in fields such as power generation. A conventional gas turbine system includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. During operation of the gas turbine system, various components in the system are subjected to high temperature flows, which can cause the components to fail. Since higher temperature flows generally result in increased performance, efficiency, and power output of the gas turbine system, the components that are subjected to high temperature flows must be cooled to allow the gas turbine system to operate at increased temperatures.
One gas turbine system component that should be cooled is the combustor liner. As high temperature flows, caused by combustion of an air-fuel mix within the combustor, are directed through the combustor, the high temperature flows heat the combustor liner, which could cause the combustor liner to fail. Specifically, the downstream end portion of the combustor liner, which in many combustors has a smaller radius than the combustor liner in general, may be a life-limiting section of the combustor liner which may fail due to exposure to high temperature flows. Thus, in order to increase the life of the combustor liner, the downstream end portion must be cooled.
Various strategies are known in the art for cooling the combustor liner. For example, a portion of the air flow provided from the compressor through fuel nozzles into the combustor may be siphoned to linear, axial channels defined in the downstream end portion of the combustor liner. As the air flow is directed through the axial channels in the direction of flow of the hot gas, the air flow may cool the downstream end portion. However, cooling of the downstream end portion by the air flow within the axial channels is generally limited by the length of the downstream end portion of the combustor liner, which defines the length of the axial channels. Thus, the axial channels may limit the effectiveness of the air flow in cooling the downstream end portion.
Thus, a combustor liner cooling apparatus is desired in the art. For example, an apparatus to cool the downstream end portion of the combustor liner may be advantageous. Further, a downstream end portion of a combustor liner with cooling channels that exceed that length of the downstream end portion, increasing the cooling of the downstream end portion, may be advantageous.